Di Carlo's Pizzeria
Sacramento, CA Photo courtesy Dave & Debra van Hulsteyn
Shaped like the boot of Italy, this neon sign for Di Carlo’s Pizzeria certainly got the point across. The restaurant name stretches across the country while “Pizzeria” runs down the leg toward the toe. It is a clever bit of roadside advertising that could be recognized before anyone had time to read the words.
Little information about Di Carlo’s has surfaced, including its exact Sacramento address or how long the restaurant operated. The photograph at least preserves its wonderfully unusual sign, created during an era when a local pizza parlor could turn a familiar map into a glowing roadside landmark.
UPDATE: Di Carlo’s Pizzeria is no longer listed as an active Sacramento restaurant. The location and fate of its Italy-shaped neon sign remain unknown. Hopefully the old boot found its way into a collection rather than disappearing altogether. 09-26
Original Joe's
San Jose, CA Photo courtesy Adriene Biondo
Downtown San Jose looks a little more glamorous after dark when the neon at Original Joe's comes to life. Check out the fancy script stretching across the side of the building, along with glowing signs advertising steaks, chops, and Italian food. It is the kind of nighttime display that makes an old restaurant look especially inviting from the street. Take a walk around the corner and there always seems to be another piece of neon waiting for the camera.
Original Joe’s opened at First and San Carlos streets in May 1956. Its founders wanted to bring the atmosphere of a classic San Francisco Italian-American restaurant to the South Bay. During its early years, fresh sourdough bread was reportedly sent down from San Francisco each day aboard a Greyhound bus. That took some planning, but apparently no meal at Joe’s was going to be served without the proper bread.
Original Joe's
San Francisco, CA Photo courtesy Justin Montano
Inside, the restaurant retains its old-school character with dark booths, counter seating, cocktails, and an open kitchen where diners can watch their meals being prepared. The menu features steaks, chops, pasta, hamburgers, and Joe’s Special, the familiar combination of ground beef, spinach, onions, and eggs. Generations of San Jose families have gathered here for dinners, celebrations, and late-night meals.
The surroundings may have changed considerably since the 1950s, but Original Joe’s still feels like a piece of an older downtown San Jose. There is no need for a carefully recreated retro theme when the booths, open kitchen, menu, and glowing signs have been doing the job all along.
Original Joe's
San Francisco, CA Photo courtesy Justin Montano
UPDATE: Original Joe’s celebrated its 70th anniversary in 2026 and remains open at its longtime downtown location. Despite rumors that the restaurant was closing or being sold, the family announced that it was not on the market and was there to stay. The vintage neon continues to brighten downtown San Jose after dark, just as it has for decades. 09-26
Original Joe's is a restaurant and bar that serves up American
and Italian food (I believe). It's in the "Tenderloin" neighborhood,
but it has had it's better days. Justin Montano
Luis's Mexican Food (Gone) Sacramento, CA Photo courtesy Dave & Debra van Hulsteyn
Hungry for some good Mexican food but willing to stop at the first eye-catching sign? The towering marquee outside Luis's Mexican Food Restaurant certainly handled the second part. With neon lettering, arrows, and a changeable reader board, it was a hard sign to pass without at least wondering what was on the menu.
Luis Leyva opened the restaurant on Alhambra Boulevard in October 1965. Over the next four decades, it became a popular Sacramento gathering place known for Mexican food, generous hospitality, and walls filled with autographed photographs of politicians, athletes, and local personalities.
Leyva was also deeply involved in Sacramento’s Hispanic community, and his restaurant became a familiar meeting place for civic and community leaders. A life-size cardboard cutout of Luis reportedly greeted customers near the entrance, occasionally fooling visitors into trying to start a conversation with it.
UPDATE: Luis’s Mexican Food closed in 2004 after nearly 40 years in business. The Alhambra Boulevard building was remodeled for other commercial uses, and the colorful roadside marquee was removed. The current whereabouts of the neon sign remain unknown. 09-26
Mel's Drive-in
San Francisco, CA Photo by RoadsidePeek.com
Like much of Lombard Street, Mel's Diner knows how to light up the night. Blue neon traces the building while the familiar script glows above the entrance, making the busy diner an inviting stop for burgers, fries, and a late-night milkshake.
This location opened in 1985 as part of the Mel’s revival led by Steven Weiss, son of original cofounder Mel Weiss. The first Mel’s opened on South Van Ness Avenue in 1947 and later gained lasting fame through American Graffiti. The movie was filmed at that original location, not here on Lombard Street.
UPDATE: A kitchen fire caused extensive damage and temporarily closed the Lombard Street Mel’s in February 2026. The family promised to restore and reopen the landmark while preserving its familiar appearance. The official Mel’s website now lists the Lombard location with daily hours once again, including late-night service on Fridays and Saturdays. 09-26
Town House (Gone)
Sacramento, CA Photo courtesy Matt Walsh
There is something special about working neon on a quiet city street. The sign outside Town House added a warm glow to Sacramento’s 21st Street, complete with playful lettering and a martini glass that looked ready for another round.
Town House opened by the late 1950s and spent decades as a neighborhood restaurant, tavern, and gathering place. In its later years, it became a gritty Midtown dive bar known for live music, DJs, dancing, and a crowd that did not seem too concerned with polished surroundings.
Town House
Sacramento, CA Photo courtesy Dave & Debra van Hulsteyn
The colorful blade sign was manufactured by Sacramento’s Pacific Neon sometime between 1955 and 1958. Its glowing cocktail glass became a familiar part of the neighborhood and survived above the entrance until Town House closed in 2013.
UPDATE: The Town House sign was removed during the 2013 conversion to Starlite Lounge, and a similar sign was created for the new business. Starlite later became the Holy Diver music venue, which closed in 2021. As of September 2026, the gutted building is vacant and offered for sale as a redevelopment opportunity. The original neon sign’s current whereabouts remain unknown. 09-26
Di Carlo's Pizzeria
